Abstract: A concrete composition includes: a hydraulic binder component which includes cement, particulate materials having a size of less than 200 ?m, and an expansive agent; granular materials having a size (D50) greater than 200 ?m; a shrinkage reducing agent; a superplasticizer; and water; wherein the water to hydraulic binder ratio is from 0.1 to 0.5 by weight, the shrinkage reducing agent is present at 0.1 to 1.0% by weight of binder, and the particulate materials are present in a concentration of from 10 to 80% by total weight of binder.

Abstract: A test stand for cylinder head components of an internal combustion engine includes at least one combustion or pressure chamber. The test stand supplies a hydraulic fluid to the chamber, and controls the pressure of the hydraulic fluid to simulate pressure cycles in the chamber. The test stand controls the pressure with at least one source of high-pressure hydraulic fluid, the high-pressure being at an adjustable and constant level, at least one solenoid valve per chamber, receiving hydraulic fluid from the high-pressure source, and automatically drives each solenoid valve as a function of the pressure in the chamber and a set-point pressure, so that each solenoid valve feeds this chamber with hydraulic fluid the pressure of which is controlled at any time by the solenoid valve and simulates predetermined pressure cycles as a function of time.

Abstract: The invention concerns a test stand for elements of an internal combustion engine cylinder head comprising at least a combustion or pressure chamber (29), means supplying (10) a hydraulic fluid into the combustion or pressure chamber, and means controlling said fluid pressure so as to simulate pressure cycles in the combustion or pressure chamber. The control means comprise at least a high pressure source (6) of hydraulic fluid, at least one solenoid valve (7) per combustion or pressure chamber to supply said combustion or pressure chamber with hydraulic fluid from the high pressure source, at least a pressure sensor (8) for measuring the pressure in each combustion or pressure chamber, and control means (9) for controlling each solenoid valve on the basis of the pressure measured in said combustion or pressure chamber and a setpoint pressure.

Abstract: A thermal fatigue test stand for combustion engine cylinder heads. A cylinder head support having at least a cylinder head zone capable of being exposed to the engine combustion. At least one burner for directing a flame on the entire head zone. At least one heat flux sensor located in the cylinder head thickness at the zone to verify whether the heat flux produced by the flame is at least approximately in conformity with a predetermined value. The invention also concerns a method for calibrating such a test stand, and a method for testing cylinder heads. The invention is particularly useful for developing, both from a metallurgical and geometrical viewpoints, aluminum alloy cylinder heads.